Mech fortress-builder Sand: Raiders of Sophie has officially launched into early access on Steam after a series of delays that stretched from 2025 into the current year. The game, which allows players to build and pilot colossal walking mechanical bases across a desert on an alien planet, faced a tumultuous path to its release.
The initial plans for an early access launch in April 2025 were scrapped last year. Following this, the development team shifted to a full release strategy with a planned launch date of March 2026. However, this target was missed in the final days of March, leading to a revised launch date of June 10. This date was again postponed to June 22.
Adding to the launch day's complexities, the game's release model reverted to early access on June 9, the day before its most recent planned launch. On the actual launch day, June 22, further minor delays occurred due to what the development team described as "a couple of wires got crossed that we need Valves help us uncross." These issues caused an initial delay of an hour or two.
Witnesses on the official Discord server observed further countdowns, first a 10-minute timer that expired, followed by a 20-minute one. Just before the second countdown concluded, Sand: Raiders of Sophie finally became available on Steam.
The game is currently available at a 21% discount for the next two weeks. Player reception and gameplay experiences following these launch day adjustments are yet to be fully assessed.